Centrifugal apparatus



8- 1948- v. L. P. SHARPLES 2,446,559

" CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS Filed July 22, B44

'laarelzce/ajzavwzczs I I Q Patented Aug. 10, 1948 orrlce CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS Laurence P. Sharples, Ardmore, Pa., asslgnor to The Sharples Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 22,1944, Serial No. 546,198

8 Claims. l

The present invention relates to apparatus for I separating liquid from solids, for separating solids from each other, for transporting or imparting velocity in a given direction to solids, or for effecting other treatment of solids discharged from a centrifugal rotor.

. The conception of the invention occurred in connection with researchundertaken to perfect apparatus for separating liquid fromsolids centrifugally and for continuously discharging both the separated liquid and solids from the zone of centrifugation, and it will accordingly be described in its relation to that problem.

A feature of the invention consists in the fact that it enables the operator to discharge solids continuously from a zone of centrifugation in an upward direction with a minimum of loss of the energy under which said solids are moving at the moment of discharge. Another feature of the invention, in its preferred embodiment, consists in the fact that the solids are discharged upwardly from the zone of centrifugation without the use of any solid deflecting surface to effect their removal from the centrifugal rotor.

Another feature of the invention consists in the fact that it provides novel means for separating solids of varying sizes from each other during the course of their upward travel through a conduit into which they are discharged.

Still further features and advantages of the invention will be evident from a reading of the following detailed description in the light of the attached drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of apparatus.

which may be used in practice of the invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse section substantially onv the line 2-2 of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the illustrated embodiment a centrifugal rotor l is mounted on a horizontal shaft 2; The rotor has a pervious circumferential wall 1a, through which liquid is discharged, and is surrounded by a casing 3, having a discharge spout t.

The rotor may include a confining plate secured thereto for rotation therewith, and spaced 2 during rotationthereof by its shaft 2, and will flow outwardly ,under centrifugal force. Upon continued operation in this manner, the solids gradually accumulate along the pervious wall la and within the space between the coniing plate 5 and the'bottom of the rotor. The rotor is designed, either by reason of the relative lengths of. the wall la and the wall lb, or by provision of a suitablelip ring at the free end of the wall la, to prevent normaldischarge of solids past the free end of the wall In under the influence of pressure from the solids within the space be.-

tween confining plate 5 and the wall lb. The

design is such that the solids are forced to a zone close to the free edge of the wall lit by the pressure of solids beneath the plate 5, but are not forced over that edge by this pressure.

A vertical or inclined conduit 1 is disposed in communication with a zone of rotation of the rotor at which the solids are normally traveling in an upward direction due to the upward movement of the portion of the rotor wall containing them. This conduit is designed to receive solids In order to dislodge the layer of accumulated solids from the wall of the rotor at a portion of its rotary movement at which the solids are moving upwardly, there is provided a conduit 8, connected with a suitable source of compressed gas,

suchan air or steam, having its open end arranged to direct a stream of gas in the form of a jet against solids near the open edge of the rotor at a point just below and adjacent the mouth of the conduit I. Since the edge of the rotor, and the layer of solids, are traveling upwardly at this point, it will be seen that the material dislodged by the jet will, due to its inertia, be projected upward tangentially from the rotor and will be projected into the lower end of the conduit l.

'Asa further feature in connection with an arrangement such as described above, the length of the conduit I may be so related to the kinetic energy with which the solids are discharged from the rotor, that the larger solids, such as a, projected into the conduit, are carried past the top of the conduit. Atthis point is arranged a hopper II, or other suitable receptable, having a discharge opening I! at its bottom, into which hopper, or'receptacle, the larger pieces of material are delivered. V

Since the air resistance encountered by the smaller particles, such as b, in their upwardtravel, is greater, relative to their masathan in the case of the larger particles, their kinetic energy is not sufficient to carry them all of the way to the top of the conduit. Owing to the combined action of the air resistance and gravity, these smaller particles are progressively slowed down and finally stopped short of the upper end of the conduit. They then begin to fall and flow downwardly along the lower side of the conduit. A partition I; is preferably provided near the lower end of the conduit in order to separate this downwardly flowing stream of smaller particles from the upwardly flowing stream of material. The upper end of this partition is spaced from the outer wall of the conduit to provide an opening it through which the stream of smaller particles may pass and thus be separately discharged from the lower end I!) of the conduit.

In order to assist in drying the material as it passes through the conduit I, a branch conduit I may be provided having a lower open end below which is placed a gas burner it, or other source of heat. so as to cause a current of hot air to enter the branch conduit 9 and to pass into and upwardly through the conduit 1. It will be noted thatthe smaller particles are subjected to the drying action of this current of hot air during both their upward and downward travel in the conduit. In other words, these smaller particles are subjected to greater drying action than are the larger particles, and this is highly desirable because of the fact that the smaller particles carry more moisture per pound of material.

Modifications may be employed within the scope of the invention, and I do not therefore wish to be limited except by the scope of the following claims,

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a perforated peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by'a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of liquid and solids of different size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said perforated peripheral wall, and means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor for laterally dislodging solids accumulating at said circumferential edge out wardly over said circumferential edge while said last-mentioned solids continue to move upwardly to cause said solids when dislodged to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids from said rotor.

2. In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a perforated peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of liquid and solids of different size into'the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said perforated peripheral wall, means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor for laterally dislodging solids accumulating at said circumferential edge outwardly over said circumferential edge while said lastmentioned solids continue to move upwardly to cause said solids when dislodged to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids from said rotor, and a non-rotatin upwardly extending conduit positioned with respect to said rotor so as to receive said solids when dislodged from said rotor in a manner so that said solids continue their upward movement,

comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a perforated peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of liquid and solids of different size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said perforated peripheral wall, and means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor for directing a stream of gas against solids accumulating at said circumferential edge to cause said last-mentioned-solids to be dislodged laterally outward over said circumferential edge while continuing their upward movement and to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids from said rotor.

. 4. In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a perforated peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of liquid and solids of different size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said perforated peripheral wall, means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor and also adjacent a substantially horizontal plane passing through said axis for directing a stream of gas against solids accumulating at said circumferential'edge to cause said last-mentioned solids to be dislodged laterally outward over said circumferential edge while continuing their upward movement and to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids fromsaid rotor, and a non-rotating upwardly extending conduit positioned with respect to said rotor so as to receive said solids when dislodged from said rotor in a manner so that said solids continue their upward movement, said conduit being of such length as to cause the larger solid particles to concentrate at the upper end thereof leaving the smaller particles to fall by gravity down throu said conduit, means at the top of said conduit for removinglarger solid particles thus separated, and means at the bottom of said conduit for removing smaller solid particles thus separated.

5. In a centrifugal apparatus, thecombination comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of solids of different size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said peripheral wall, and means adjacent said cirat which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor for laterally dislodging solids of said mixture accumulating at said circumferential edge-outwardly over said circumferential edge while said last-mentioned V cumferential edge and adjacent a point in space solids continue to move upwardly to cause said opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of solids of differ'ent size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said peripheral wall, means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor for laterally dis lodging solids of said mixture accumulating at said circumferential edge outwardly over said circumferential edge while said last-mentioned solids continue to move upwardly to cause said solids when dislodged to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids from said rotor, and a non-rotating upwardly extending conduit positioned with respect to said rotor so as to receive said solids when dislodged from said rotor in a manner so that said solids continue their upward movement, said conduit being of such length as to cause the larger solid particles to concentrate at the upper end thereof leaving the smaller particles to fall by gravity down through said conduit, means at the top of said conduit for removing larger solid particles thus separated, and means at the bottom of said conduit for removing smaller solid particles thus separated.

7. In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of solids of different size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said peripheral wall,'and means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotation of said rotor for directing a stream of gas against solids of said mixture accumulating at said circumferential edge to cause said lastmentioned solids to be dislodged laterally outward over said circumferential edge while continuing their upward movement and to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids from said rotor.

8. In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor having a peripheral wall and a lateral circumferential opening defined by a circumferential edge of said wall, means for feeding a mixture of solids of different size into the interior of said rotor and for guiding said mixture outwardly against said peripheral wall, means adjacent said circumferential edge and adjacent. a point in space at which said circumferential edge moves upwardly upon rotationof said rotor and also adjacent a substantially horizontal plane passing through said axis for directing a stream of gas against solids of said mixture accumulating at said circumferential edge to cause said last-mentioned solids to be dislodged laterally outward over said circumferential edge while continuing their upward movement and to be projected upwardly under the kinetic energy received by said solids from said rotor, and a non-rotating upwardly extending conduit positioned with respect to said rotor so as to receive said solids when dislodged from said rotor in a manner so that said solids continue their upward movement, said conduit REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name I Date 652,657 Beach June 26, 1900 930,898 Steinmann Aug. 10, 1909 1,080,700 Kran'ebiel Dec. 9, 1913 1,907,888 -Spikerman May 9, 1933 2,047,867 Hamilton July 14, 1936 2,232,768 Buddeberg Feb. 25, 1941 2,312,829

Bird et al. Mar. 2, 1943 

